CAUSE OF THE REVELATION (VERSE NO. 4)

      ZAID- IBN- ALKHAIR and ODAY- IBN- HATAM said to the prophet:- ``We are a group of hunters that hunt by hounds and hawks that we have trained for that purpose. Our hounds catch the prey for us, and we get some of them alive- which we slaughter them ritually, but some of the preys are killed by our hunting animals before we reach them; and so we receive them deads, while we know that eating dead meat has been prohibited by Allah. What, then, are we to do with such dead preys?''

      This verse (No. 4) was sent down to answer that question.

THE LAWFUL PREY

      The previous verse defined what was unlawful for food, and this verse (No. 4) defines what is lawful for food- Anything that is good and clear is lawful for food:-

      ``They ask you what is lawful to them? Say:- ``All clean good things are lawful to you.''

      This implies that whatever of foods that have been declared unlawful by Islam, are all unclean. A food which is good and clean, and that has been created for the use of mankind will never be prohibited by Divine Law.

      As for the animals that the hounds hunt; if they are caught alive, they have to be slaughtered according to the religious instructions. If the prey is died before the hunter receives it, it is still lawful and can be served.

      In another word; if the hunting animals have been trained only to hunt for their master, and not for their own appetite, or out of their hunger; then their prey dead or alive, is lawful for the master or any body else. But if the hunting animals eat half of the prey; and leave the other half for their master, the prey turns unlawful and should not be eaten.

      We also have to pronounce the name of Allah, when we send the hunting animals to chase the prey.

      In order to observe all the above instructions, at the ending of the verse says:- ``And beware of Allah, that Allah is swift at the reckoning.''